NEW YORK: India has strongly urged the international community to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, ensure the release of hostages, and facilitate uninterrupted humanitarian aid to the region. During the United Nations Security Council’s open debate on the Middle East, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, emphasised that short-term pauses in violence are insufficient to tackle the severe humanitarian challenges facing the people of Gaza.
“Intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the scale of humanitarian challenges confronting the people, who grapple daily with acute shortages of food and fuel, inadequate medical services and lack of access to education,” the Ambassador stated.
He raised alarm over the collapsing healthcare and education systems in Gaza. Citing World Health Organisation data, he noted that 95 per cent of Gaza’s hospitals are either damaged or destroyed. Additionally, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights highlighted that over 650,000 children have been out of school for more than 20 months.
Ambassador Harish called for urgent global action, stressing the need for safe, sustained, and timely humanitarian assistance. “There is no substitute for peace. A ceasefire must be established. All hostages must be released. Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable paths to achieving these objectives,” he said.
India also reaffirmed its historical support for the Palestinian cause. Harish reminded the Council that India was the first non-Arab nation to recognise the State of Palestine and continues to support development efforts worth over USD 40 million, in collaboration with organisations like UNRWA.
He reiterated that a two-State solution remains central to long-term peace. “India reiterates that the pathway to enduring peace is rooted in a two-State solution, one that establishes a sovereign, viable and independent State of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace.”
India also welcomed the upcoming High-Level International Conference on the two-State solution, expressing hope it would yield “concrete steps” towards lasting peace in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Israel dismissed criticism from international organisations over humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza. The Israeli foreign ministry stated these organisations were “serving the propaganda of Hamas,” rejecting the allegations as baseless.
-Agencies
